Apple Watch Series 10 review: Bigger isn’t always better

This year marks the 10th anniversary of the Apple Watch. To celebrate, Apple have bestowed on us a watch that has a bigger screen, yet is thinner and lighter than previous iterations. It's also dressed for the occasion with a polished jet-black finish not to mention some incremental quality-of-life improvements.

Like a crow, I’m enamored by pretty, shiny things. But aside from a glamorous new finish, there isn't reason to upgrade. Is the new Apple Watch charming? Absolutely. Is it worth the switch from a Series 8 or Series 9? Absolutely not.

The Apple Watch Series 10 starts at $649. This will get you a 42mm aluminium watch without cellular connectivity. If GPS and cellular are non-negotiable, you can expect to pay $160 more, or $50 more if you’re keen on the 46mm.

Finally, if you’ve got extra cash to splurge, the titanium model will set you back at least $1,199. This model includes cellular connectivity and boasts a durable sapphire crystal display with a glossy finish.

The aluminium models is designed for an active lifestyle, while the titanium is a classier, boujier choice. The first option uses uses Ion X glass to protect against shattering, while the second uses sapphire crystal glass to offer better scratch resistance against everyday wear. Think of the aluminium as your everyday clothes, and titanium as what you wear to a black tie event. It looks stunning, but it’s probably not the best choice for your daily gym sesh.

The Series 10 is a big boy, with the 46mm model’s display measuring 3mm more than the Ultra 2. Even though it’s larger, it still boasts a sleek, light design that genuinely feels comfortable to wear. Even though there are no changes to the Series 10’s max brightness, each pixel on the watch face has been optimised to emit 40% more light when viewed from an angle.

Maybe it’s the absence of Barbie hype, or the rise of sad beige, but there isn’t much to talk about in terms of new colour choices. When shopping for your watch, you’ve got the choice between six colours – rose gold, silver aluminium, jet black, natural titanium, gold titanium, and slate titanium. For bands, you can choose between black, plum, green, and two hues of blue.

Even so, one of the best parts about owning an Apple Watch is coordinating the colour of your band with your outfits. Going for a hike? Whip out the camo workout band. Having a rough day? Make it brighter by adding some colour. Bands are an easy way to spruce up a lacklustre outfit, and it’s even more satisfying when they match the watch.

As someone who finds some watch bands scratchy and uncomfortable (especially after all-day use), the Series 10 Sport Loop bands are a different story. They’re breathable and soft, yet still secure. They’re made from two woven layers of nylon, sourced from recycled yarn and discarded fishing nets. Better still, they’re one of Apple’s more affordable band options at $69.

The Series 10 is also water resistant up to about 50m and uses the gyroscope to count your laps so you can focus on maximising your swim time. It also has a depth gauge of up to 6m, so you can track how deep or far you snorkel.

The Series 10 boasts a single, thin speaker that can support audio playback without connected headphones. This means you can play music out loud for the first time! You could always make calls via the Apple Watch speaker, but with the Series 10, you no longer need to plug in your headphones to catch up on your favourite podcast or Charli XCX remix.

No longer will you need to hike alone with your thoughts when you’ve forgotten your headphones. Don’t expect unprecedented levels of audio quality and volume though. I couldn't hear all that much with ambient traffic in the background but it works fine for quiet outdoor environments.

If you’ve got an overseas trip planned and your watch has cellular and an active phone plan, you’re in luck because the Apple Watch Series 10 has a few new tricks. God forbid that tuk-tuk experience doesn't go to plan, you can now hold down the side button on your watch to get in contact with that country’s emergency services.

This feature also works with the built-in accelerometer and gyroscope to detect falls, trips, and car crashes. If you take a tumble (in or out of your home country), you’ll receive a message checking if you’re all good. If you fail to respond in 10 seconds, the watch will drop a pin and share your location with your emergency contacts and first responders.

You don’t need to own a newer model for that though. If you own a Series 6 or above, you’ll be able to take advantage of these new features and access new training load metrics that can track your racks and prompt you to take rest days.

Thanks to WatchOS11, Your Apple Watch can now determine if you’re making meaningful progress toward your goals. Log the intensity and duration of your workouts and you’ll receive an effort rating between 1 and 10. This is based on your age, weight, height, heart rate, and elevation to determine whether you should lift heavier or give your body a break. This is a solid feature for understanding the strain exercise can have on your body over time, especially if your primary gym regimen involves lifting heavy weights. 

Speaking of trade-offs, a bigger screen usually equals less battery life. But even though the screen on the Series 10 is 9% bigger than the Series 9, the Series 10 is more power efficient. It still boasts the same battery life as its previous iteration (18 hours and 36 hours on low power mode) and it charges slightly faster. Instead of taking 45 minutes to get to 80%, it’ll take 30 minutes to get the same amount of juice (if you’re using the magnetic fast charger and a 20W power supply).

The screen might be bigger but the experience offered by the Series 10 is much the same as the Series 9. If you’re only in it for WatchOS 11, it’s worth sticking with an older model since you’ll still get most of the good stuff without the price tag.

The Series 10 is not a huge, flashy redesign or departure from the last year's Apple Watch but the case is compelling if you’re thinking about upgrading from the Series 6 or 7.